UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => diet, training and injuries => Topic started by: tomtom on January 08, 2018, 01:16:35 pm
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Please forgive the contradictory title...
Having mostly given up the pop over the last year or so (and with many people doing likewise in January) I've developed a bit of a taste for zero or low alcohol beer (e.g 0.5% etc..)... In case anyone else has an interest/recommendations..
So far my favorite is BrewDogs Nanny State - which is unusual for me as I hate hoppy IPA style beers (with alcohol in them..).. Budweiser new offering is largely insipid. I had a very nice 0.5% Weiss-bier from Tesco's over Xmas too..
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Good shout Tom, I had a month off this time last year in anticipation of Clem's arrival, and am experimenting with going teetotal for the foreseeable.
I think your findings are largely in line with mine. Nanny State was by far the best, and I seem to recall that one of the better lager-style ones was the Sainsburys Czech Lager.
I've tried the non-alcohol versions of San Miguel, Heineken, Bavaria and Budweiser and think they're all much of a muchness flavour-wise, i.e. lager-esque but a) a bit too sweet and b) not quite hoppy/bitter enough. They all need a lot of chilling to be bearable.
I didn't like the Cobra one, or Erdinger but have friends who rate the latter.
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Good thread.
I agree re Nanny State.
I've got a bottle of the St Peters stuff which gets good reviews on Tesco but haven't tried it yet.
Anyone tried any of the wines ? There was an article in the Times on Saturday which recommended a few
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While my wife was breast-feeding our little-un, we tried a lot of the options of no/low alcohol beers. The nanny state was the best non-alcoholic (0.5% or lower). Adnams Sole Star (0.9%) was also good. I found the Erdinger weiss bier OK. Apparently M&S do a Czech lager that is good, but they've never had it in stock when we've tried to get some. The St. Peter's low alcohol was disappointing. My wife thought the Becks Blue was OK. I'd happily drink Nanny State or Sole Star, but wouldn't bother with the others really.
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I quite like Becks blue, but not massively exciting. I actually much prefer the Heiniekien for a 0%, but agree that Nanny State is way better.
I tried another, think was erdinger that I thought was disgustingly sweet. Pretty sure was that.
Has anyone tried Seedlip the non alcoholic 'spirit'? I've seen it advertised a bit around but no idea what it's like.
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Just realised I put San Miguel above, when I meant Estrella.
Again, not a bad one if you're looking for a lager-y example but needs to be out-of-the-freezer cold.
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Looked into these just before Christmas for when I fancy a drink without having a drink. Found an article somewhere reviewing them. It went something like this.
Nanny State 4/5
Everything else 1/5 (don't remember Sole Star being mentioned)
I pretty much agree with the article. It didn't include the newer ones like Bud.
Ont radio t'other day some drinks expert reckoned non alcoholic drinks were this years big thing so hopefully range and quality will improve and more places start stocking Nanny State.
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A couple of Christmas' ago I bought my now teetotal Dad a mixed case from these guys...
https://www.alcoholfree.co.uk/mixed-cases-c-2_65_74.html
Really good service, fast delivery, paid delivery but still pretty good value overall and a good way to try lots of different types. I tried a few but can't remember my favourites. They have a 'real' shop/warehouse based in Manchester where you can collect for free if your passing.
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Cool - some great replies here... glad it wasn't just me too :)
I've not tried the non weiss Erdinger, but it amused me how they put 'isotonic refreshment' (or words to that effect) on the label :)
From previous visits to Oz, light beers (which can be from 1-3% IIRC) were pretty popular and available in many places on tap... I'll be back there in a couple of weeks so see if anythings changed...
I'm no brewer, but wonder if there is something in the process of getting from a 0.5% to a 0% (which is probably 0.05%.. not zero) that saps all life from the brew? Or is that last 0.5% prohibitavely expensive? I know that becks 0% has some alcohol in it, as when one of my friends was in Lybia (pre Arab spring) some members of the expat community would prize the lid off a becks zero and pop half a stick of spaghetti in and replace the lid. 2-4 days later back up to strength :)
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Currently on the Heineken 0%, it’s pallatable enough if very cold (think this applies to most)
I quite like the Erdinger “isotonic” one, but they’re stretching it a bit there really!
Will try the Brewdog one, for some reason I’ve not had chance yet.
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Bought some Eisberg alcohol free Cabernet Sauvignon from Sainsbury's this afternoon.
Kin Ribena. Don't waste any money on it.
I also bought a bottle of alcohol free fizz on the recommendation of the bloke in the wine aisle but haven't tried it yet
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Will try the Brewdog one, for some reason I’ve not had chance yet.
Works fine without being super chilled.. also it seems to be miles cheaper at Tesco's than anywhere else for some reason...
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Another vote for Nanny State as my tipple of choice these days. Also, a friend introduced me to Pistonhead Flat True, a 0.5% lager. Which was nice.
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+1 to the alcoholfree website above. My favourite was the super bock stout when I bought a mixed crate. Much preferred to nanny state, but I do like dark beers. If you prefer wheat beers, I thought Maisels Weisse was better than Erdinger.
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Ont radio t'other day some drinks expert reckoned non alcoholic drinks were this years big thing so hopefully range and quality will improve and more places start stocking Nanny State.
One of my bugbears is that pubs and bars only really seem to reliably stock Becks Blue, which is often a) full price, same a real bottled ale and b) one of the rankest low/non-alcohol beers. I just end up drinking lime and soda instead.
Hopefully more will get with the program and start stocking some of the better ones.
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I'm actually enjoying Erdinger alkoholfrei at the moment. Keep meaning to try the Nanny State when I come across it.
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http://fiendophobia.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/00.html
Been on this for years.
Further to that list I'd say the Franzikaner ones are great, St Peter's are okay, and in contrast to the rest of you bile-loving freaks, Nanny State is bloody horrible, I'm sure it's authentic but it's so bitterly hoppy it tastes like regurgitated engine coolant.
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I just end up drinking lime and soda instead.
Try adding a dash slosh of Angostura bitters. Makes a quite paletable soft drink.
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Having spent 9 months pregnant then nearly 3 year breastfeeding I became a bit of an expert on non-alcoholic stuff...
I have yet to find any non-alcoholic wine (white, red or fizz) that isn't ridiculously sweet, the reds do make good mulled wine and the white is OK ice cold with soda water in it in the summer.
The best beers I found were in France surprisingly enough. 1664 or export 66. Although I think one of them is just low alcohol, 1-2 %
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Was the Bavaria I tried and thought way too sweet. San Miguel seems similar, trying it now.
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Surprised nobody has mentioned Big Drop brewing (apologies if I missed it). I've only had the Stout but was pleasantly impressed by the depth of flavour/body for a 0.5abv.
https://www.bigdropbrew.com
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Surprised nobody has mentioned Big Drop brewing (apologies if I missed it). I've only had the Stout but was pleasantly impressed by the depth of flavour/body for a 0.5abv.
https://www.bigdropbrew.com
Is it available anywhere north of Watford?
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Looks like its Brighton and London only - shame cos it looks interesting
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How do these things compare in terms of calories. Are you going to put on less weight drinking them, or just avoid the negative effects of the alcohol itself.
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IIRC the nanny state stuff is 14 calories a bottle.
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Even the weissbier (which normally has shitnloads more calories than normal beer) only has 30 I think.
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Funnily enough, I'm struggling to find published data for the calories in various brands of beer.
Perhaps my google foo is weak today.
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Ah ha - My Fitness Pal has it all of course.
42 calories in Nanny State,
compared with
160 calories in a Punk IPA.
Considerable saving non?
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Nanny state bottle says 6cal per 100ml.
It’s also £1.39 at our local co-op which is quite cheap.
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£3.75 for 4 at Tesco ATM
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A lot less, 20% of a normal beer maybe.
https://www.nutracheck.co.uk/calories/calories_in_alcohol/calories_in_lager
Didn't see other replies but there you go.
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Weissbeer very good.
Just trying some flat tire (sic) Mosaic hopped lager which is very dry and probably my fave so far. Mosiac is my favourite hop though
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Snap! I'm having a few of those mixed with a few Nanny States.
Quite nice.
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Nice wee article about low alcohol booze loosely linked to the German olympic teams significant consumption...
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2018/feb/20/prost-how-to-drink-beer-like-a-german-olympic-athlete
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I found Clausthaler Dry Hopped Alcohol free beers recently - they have changed my drinking completely. No alcohol at all in the last 6 weeks.
The first and only AF drink I have found that actually tastes just like a beer! The holy grail......
https://www.binnys.com/beverage/Clausthaler_Non-Alcoholic_Dry_Hopped_820433.html
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I got tipped onto the Erdinger Weissbeer a while back from Fiend but it’s great too so many new 0.5% brews on the market.
Nanny State is good value through Ocado and I find it really tasty.
Near me there are few good specialists offie’s that have a good stock so have tried several of the Big Drops and they’ve all been good. The Stout is really impressive.
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I'll second the vote for Nanny State and Erdinger. Tasty stuff.
I've been off the sauce all year, but I'm playing a gig on Friday which I know I'll struggle with if sober so going to allow myself a few beers. Just lets the juice flow a bit better!
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I am a total convert to Nanny state. I genuinely like it as a drink.
Wanted to cut down on my drinking levels this year and without doubt having a decent non alcohol drink, that looks and tastes like beer, in a beer shaped bottle with beer type packaging has been a game changer in this.
Hopefully it inspires a lot of the other brewers to do more.
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I am a total convert to Nanny state. I genuinely like it as a drink.
Wanted to cut down on my drinking levels this year and without doubt having a decent non alcohol drink, that looks and tastes like beer, in a beer shaped bottle with beer type packaging has been a game changer in this.
Hopefully it inspires a lot of the other brewers to do more.
Yes - it helps. I didn't participated in dry January, but estimate I've had <10 drinks this year....
I do find the Nanny State a bit tacky on the tongue about 1/2 way through the bottle - though I'm not a hops/IPA fan TBH...
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I'll second the vote for Nanny State and Erdinger. Tasty stuff.
I've been off the sauce all year, but I'm playing a gig on Friday which I know I'll struggle with if sober so going to allow myself a few beers. Just lets the juice flow a bit better!
From reading your previous posts (and from personal experience) I'd advise you to rethink this. You might feel weird for the first few gigs but the juice will flow fine on it's own sooner than you think.
The hardest bit of quitting anything is getting over the false but entrenched belief that there are things that are easier or better drunk/ high than they are sober. Once you're past the awkward bit when they still feel like they are then you'll be laughing. Stick with it.
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Ok. Spreading my wings from Nanny State and got a few from Sainsbury’s to try.
1. st Peters ‘Without’. High ratings on amazon etc... tasted rank to me. Glucosy and syrupy bitter. Not clean on the pallete at all.
2. Sainsbury’s low alcohol Czech lager. Really good (to me anyway). Well worth a try. Interestingly, brewed in Prague by none other than Pivo Staropramen...a wolf in sheeps clothing?
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Just had a can of Pistonhead Flat Tyre (£4 for a 4pack in Tesco) and it’s ace!
Hoppy - but not as heavy as nanny state. Superb probably they best zero lager I’ve had. Even MrsTT thought it was ‘alright’.
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Where's the calorie free curry thread? :please: ;D
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2. Sainsbury’s low alcohol Czech lager. Really good (to me anyway). Well worth a try. Interestingly, brewed in Prague by none other than Pivo Staropramen...a wolf in sheeps clothing?
Still my favourite non-alcohol "lager" - only one I could find that wasn't excessively syrupy and sweet.
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Kind of a YYFY moment here ;)
I was in an Asda yesterday, which I very rarely frequent. I found myself perusing the booze free section and my eyes wandered slightly to see a 500ml bottle of Feldschlobchen for a very tempting 92p. I presumed this was non/low alcohol, and a quick “man look” confirmed this.
I just cracked it open now, took a swag and thought wow, that’s the most beer like non alcoholic beer I’ve ever tasted....... turns out it’s 4.5% German lager. Oops!
Can’t waste it now obviously :pissed:
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:beer2:
Does anyone else notice the difference between the 0.5% and the 0%’ers?
I do.... the latter I find really weird tasting.
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I find the key is just to make sure they are super chilled, it really does help.
That, and accidentally picking up real booze instead ;D
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Sampled some of these whilst on the slopes in Slovakia.
(https://d2jdv4let62dvd.cloudfront.net/czech-slovak-foods/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/700x700/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/z/l/zlaty_lemon.jpg)
Nice and refreshing. Like a can of top deck.
Lagers liked it so must be good.
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:beer2:
Does anyone else notice the difference between the 0.5% and the 0%’ers?
I do.... the latter I find really weird tasting.
Yeah, the "real" 0%-ers are all really over-sweet / saccharine to me. Some of the mainstream brands are terrible.
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:beer2:
Does anyone else notice the difference between the 0.5% and the 0%’ers?
I do.... the latter I find really weird tasting.
Flat Tire is 0% and for me, compared to Warsteiner and Erdinger it doesn't have a weird chemical aftertaste. The Erdinger is also very very sweet. I also find Nanny State is a bit aftertasty and not as nice as Flat Tire.
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Flat Tire is 0% and for me, compared to Warsteiner and Erdinger it doesn't have a weird chemical aftertaste. The Erdinger is also very very sweet. I also find Nanny State is a bit aftertasty and not as nice as Flat Tire.
Pretty sure Flat Tire is 0.5% (and Tesco agrees https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/298651746 (https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/298651746)), it is pretty good, Nanny State is very hoppy and seems to divide opinion, I enjoy it but wouldn't want to drink too many.
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The Erdinger is a bit sweet - more calories too.
Me and W are total converts to Nanny State.
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Got a mixed case of Big Drop from drydrinker.co.uk.
The Stout is fantastic.
Lager is great.
Pale Ale good.
Spicy Pale Ale not so good.
4.5 kg lost since Feb :boxing:
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Anyone able to recommend a pub around Ecclesall Road/hunters bar area with a decent selection? Ie not just becks blue :wall:
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I’ve not seen anything percolate down to pubs yet on the 0 percent booze front... anywhere...
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Anyone able to recommend a pub around Ecclesall Road/hunters bar area with a decent selection? Ie not just becks blue :wall:
Ale Shandy?
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That's a bit like wafer thin ham.
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Would you not be better just drinking pop.
Dandelion and Burdock anyone.
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That's a bit like wafer thin ham.
Moonshine shandy is far from water thin ham, a travesty I agree but needs must
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I think the point was rather that a shandy only meets one of the two stipulations in the title; much in the same way that ham chopped up really small is still ham.
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Over my head
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Lidl got Alkoholfrei Franziskaner Weissbier in for 99p for a 500ml bottle.
Just enjoying one out the fridge, delicious.
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There was a thing in the Guardian with Adrian Chile’s trying a few out. Though I’m not sure I’d trust his judgement as he liked the Becks and Heineken offerings that I thing are awful. Anyway.
Apparently Nanny State is the 4th best draft seller in Brewdogs pubs...
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The Heineken is all my closest shop sells, so I've kind of got used to it. Just needs to be ice cold! Becks Blue is gash.
Nanny State is nice enough. I'm very much enjoying the Weissbier though. Very tasty.
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He mentioned his favourite was a Sainsbury’s own brand Czech lager... not tried it yet. Flat Tyre is my favourite at the moment...
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The 0.5% Sainsbury's and M+S Czech lagers are both brewed over there and taste identical. The same beer in different bottles? Nice stuff straight from the freezer, but the Sainsbury's is only £1.00 per bottle. Do tastes better ;D
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I agree the Sainsbury's Czech one is nice when very chilled! And a bargain price too. Not tried M&S one.
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Agree on the Sainbury's Czech stuff - that got me through the sobriety run-up to the birth of our first.
The missus located a bottle of 0.5% Pale Ale from Big Drop in a random discount shop recently, and it's one of the best I've ever had - better even than the Nanny State, which is my preference for non-booze beer.
https://drydrinker.com/product/big-drop-citrus-pale-ale-0-5-61224-x-330ml/ (https://drydrinker.com/product/big-drop-citrus-pale-ale-0-5-61224-x-330ml/)
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I got a selection box from Big Drop earlier in the year. The citrus pale ale is really citrusy - nice if you like that kind of thing.
The stout is great. I just wish it was a bit cheaper.
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Agree on the Sainbury's Czech stuff - that got me through the sobriety run-up to the birth of our first.
The missus located a bottle of 0.5% Pale Ale from Big Drop in a random discount shop recently, and it's one of the best I've ever had - better even than the Nanny State, which is my preference for non-booze beer.
https://drydrinker.com/product/big-drop-citrus-pale-ale-0-5-61224-x-330ml/ (https://drydrinker.com/product/big-drop-citrus-pale-ale-0-5-61224-x-330ml/)
Still having my random issue with text reverting to tiny sized.
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Tesco’s has an ever expanding range 👍👍
So flat tyre £3 for a 4 pack. Nanny state cans on promotion.
They also stock the Big Drop brewing co bottles. I didn’t like the ipa much (tasted just like nanny state) but their Milk Stout (labelled stout) is absolutely superb.
Also picked up some 0.5% ghost ship front adnams - which is a fave for the full strength beer so see how it goes!! They had a few other new ones I’d not seen before too... 👍👍
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For sheffield people, the lescar have started stocking a 0.5% stout and pale ale, both pretty good.
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They also stock the Big Drop brewing co bottles. I didn’t like the ipa much (tasted just like nanny state) but their Milk Stout (labelled stout) is absolutely superb.
Agreed re the stout, had a bottle last night, best alcohol free beer I've had by a decent distance. I quite liked the IPA as well, a slightly less extreme version of the nanny state I thought.
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They also stock the Big Drop brewing co bottles. I didn’t like the ipa much (tasted just like nanny state) but their Milk Stout (labelled stout) is absolutely superb.
Agreed re the stout, had a bottle last night, best alcohol free beer I've had by a decent distance. I quite liked the IPA as well, a slightly less extreme version of the nanny state I thought.
Please bear in mind I’m not a fan of the super hoppy IPA’s - bleurgh 😃
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Please bear in mind I’m not a fan of the super hoppy IPA’s - bleurgh 😃
Indeed, no criticism, I quite like the odd hoppy IPA but there's definitely a marmite thing there for lots of people.
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Tesco have a good range of low/no alcohol beers at the moment for dry January-ers
I quite like the Budweiser one, light and refreshing if a bit too sweet, but most importantly it doesn't have that chemically aftertaste alot of the other low alcohol beers have
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I'm currently championing the Patronus Weissbier from Lidl. 69p a bottle, and fair decent.
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Was in Austria recently and tried Stiegl, Null Comma Josef, Schlossgold and a few others. Stiegl was my favorite but the others were fairly palatable too.
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Can’t stand the Bud I’m afraid. Threw it away!
Tesco also has 0.5% speckled hen. Which ain’t perfect but is decent for an ale.
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Just been to tesco’s - most things £1 bit cans of zero Bud for 50p each.....
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I got a few bottles of Erdinger for £1. Had a look for Speckled Hen but my local one had none. They had Addams Ghost Ship in I think, not sure if it was 0% or 0.5%.
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I got a few bottles of Erdinger for £1. Had a look for Speckled Hen but my local one had none. They had Addams Ghost Ship in I think, not sure if it was 0% or 0.5%.
GS is a 0.5 I think. I’ve had some and it’s alright - though having really liked Addams beers I was a bit disappointed. Hoppy IPA lovers will think it’s alright. I’m more of a wherry fan :)
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Just tucking into some Peroni Liberia 0.0%. Quite nice.
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If sour beers are to your liking, BrewDog Raspberry Blitz is worth a go.
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Enjoying Brooklyn Special Effects at the moment. Adnams Ghost ship too.
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Enjoying Brooklyn Special Effects at the moment. Adnams Ghost ship too.
Just tucking into a Brooklyn now - new arrival at Tesco. Decent 👍
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Anyone else tried Punk AF? Newish Brew Dog one. A lot more subtle than Nanny State! Maybe too subtle? Very drinkable though.
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Anyone else tried Punk AF? Newish Brew Dog one. A lot more subtle than Nanny State! Maybe too subtle? Very drinkable though.
Not seen that one yet, nanny state is great so will keep an eye out. Where can you get it?
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Pretty sure it was Morrison’s where I saw it. Not tried it yet. The Open Gate (Guinness) Pure Brew lager is my go to at the moment- nice clean taste
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I got it in Sainsbury’s today, but haven’t seen it in all of them.
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Thumbs up for punk AF. Free Damm ok too.
Not much choice up where i live.
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Cobra Zero.
Euch. Better than water with a poppodom but not much....
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Think it's been tipped on here before but I got some Infinite Session Pale from Tescos, top of the list for me that.
As for the mainstream AF lagers, all pretty grim, but the Free Damm (is that the one in the blue can) is OK.
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As for the mainstream AF lagers, all pretty grim, but the Free Damm (is that the one in the blue can) is OK.
Yeah I think Free Damm is alright. I'm quite partial to the Bavaria 0% as a cheap and cheerful option, much better than heineken, becks, budweiser etc which are a bit grim IMO.
Brooklyn special effects is my favorite at the moment.
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Just tried Big Drop Brewing 0.5 Milk Stout.
Tastes pretty much like as you’d expect a Stout to taste. I quite liked it.
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Just tried Big Drop Brewing 0.5 Milk Stout.
Tastes pretty much like as you’d expect a Stout to taste. I quite liked it.
It’s one of my favourites.
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The Big Drop stout is by far the best alcohol free beer I've tried. I read somewhere it has actually won awards against full strength stouts. Shame as I'm not a massive stout fan- it's a cold lager I usually crave and there still isn't one that has really tickled my fancy, I'll have to try the Brooklyn Special effect and report back
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Quick update as I've been trying a few new ones.
Agree about Brewdog Punk AF - more subtle / not as hoppy as Nanny State so not as good IMO
Got the Infinite Session IPA last week, absolutely amazed by it. I genuinely think you could blind test that with other alcoholic IPAs and you'd be hard pushed to pick it out.
Had the Brooklyn Special Effects this evening. Quite nice, good hop level but a bit to sickly / caramel-y on the finish for me.
My rankings would be:
1. Infinite Session IPA
2. Brewdog Nanny State
3. Infinite Session Pale
4 = Brooklyn Special Effects
4 = Brewdog Punk AF
6. Damm 0%
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Update - picked up a can of Bad Co. Brewing AF beer yesterday, which I'll update on once I've given it a crack.
However, it's the first can I've seen with the (as you see on other beers) unit count on it. It is (like Nanny State, Infinite Session etc) a "0.5%" AF beer on the label, but listed as 0.56 units.
So my question is - is "alcohol free" beer like this actually alcohol free?
If I'm reading it right, if I had 4 cans of that stuff (and presumably the Brewdog / Infinite Session stuff), it'd be the equivalent of a pint of normal ale. Is that right?
I'm aware the mainstream lagers' 0% (Heineken, Budweiser, the Damm one) are all 0.0% so sure they're all completely non-booze. Shame they all taste terrible compared to the 0.5% I would much prefer.
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Update - picked up a can of Bad Co. Brewing AF beer yesterday, which I'll update on once I've given it a crack.
However, it's the first can I've seen with the (as you see on other beers) unit count on it. It is (like Nanny State, Infinite Session etc) a "0.5%" AF beer on the label, but listed as 0.56 units.
What's the alcohol percentage on the the beer? 0.56 units doesn't make sense on 0.5% alcohol.
1 unit is 10ml of alcohol so 250ml of 4% beer is 1 unit. A pint of 4% (i.e. not too strong) is just over 2 units, 5% is 2.5 units.
0.5% 'alcohol free' is .17 units for a 330ml can/bottle, 0.25 for 500ml. So 4 large bottler (500ml) would be equivalent of half a pint. 8 bottles for 1 pint - I think the argument is that realistically you body should process the alcohol faster than you drink it at 0.5% so functionally its pretty much alcohol free.
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So 3T, my understanding is that you’d need 8 cans of 0.5% to equate to one pint of normalish lager... I suspect your body can probably remove the booze at the rate you are consuming it or close enough... :)
From what I heard, the 0.5% beers can be made with the regular brewing process - so you don’t need any fancy equipment - and also mean you get a normal beer taste etc.. Whereas the Zero beers are where they’ve been brewed and the alcohol removed. Its this removal process that makes them taste worse. In this case - they are not actually acohol free (zero percent) its just that they are pretty close to zero. My colleague told me about when he was in Lybia (pre revolution) the expat community used to get becks blue - crack the lid - pop a straw of spaghetti in the bottle and replace the lid. A few days later and it would brew up to 3-4 percent...
I’ve also read something that the 0.5%’ers are also a bit crippled because they don’t count as alc free so have different tax/duty purposes. Or something like that....
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One unit/hour is the usual rate given for breakdown of alcohol https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/how-long-does-alcohol-stay-in-your-blood/ so you’d need to be seriously chugging the 0.5% cans!
Whether this very small amount of alcohol is sufficient to affect whatever receptors is in the brain, I’m not so sure about, and I guess whether that’s important would depend upon the personal reasons for cutting out booze.
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I guess that's my point - flavour-wise I've got a serious preference to the ones I've mentioned in previous posts...but is drinking them...cheating?
My motivations for non-boozing are twofold really - mainly medical (I'm on meds that apparently don't react well to boozing alongside), but also psychological in that I was aware I was probably drinking a bit too often / too much when added up over a week.
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Aldi have started doing some low alcohol beers.
Sainte Etienne 0.0% - a continental style lager. Quite tasty, clean crisp. Similar to the 0.5% Czech pilsners.
The Low Down 0.5% - hoppy, bitter, very tasty. Recommended highly if you like the Brew Dog stuff.
Low Profile 0.5% IPA. Not as good as the other two. Weedy and lacking in mouth feel.
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Was disappointed that Tesco seem to have stopped stocking Flat Tire alcohol free. My favourite misery lager by far. However Shipyard American Low Tide is blimmin lovely and £1.30 for a half litre bottle down here (Cornwall.) Fruity notes due to the hops with a nice dry finish to it. A really nice clean American (hopped) Pale Ale if you like your beers crafty, but without the head in the morning at 0.5% Cheers :beer2:
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Our Tesco is still doing Flat Tyre - but sadly not the Big Drop Stout that was superb.
However - I tried the Zero% Hoegaarden (sp?) last week and its decent. Its not brilliant but for a zero (rather than a 0.5) its good. Certainly not a million miles from the original - and almost tasted like a can of pop! Better than Becks, Heineken, - all the other main ones that just taste syrupy.
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IMO Best stuff by miles is all the stuff from Big Drop brewing. 2 of their beers won medals last week against (I think) beer with alcohol
Found in supermarkets but you can always buy directly from them which means they get more as well
Poolside DDH was my late summer fave but their pine and citrus beers are also ace
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Does anyone have any recommendations for alcohol free (or low alcohol) gin?
Looking for a proper juniper flavour "gin" as a gift, not a syrupy flavoured "gin"?
We tried the Seedlip alcohol free spirits and found them a bit lacking in the astringent qualities we're looking for; any other recommendations?
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Does anyone have any recommendations for alcohol free (or low alcohol) gin?
Looking for a proper juniper flavour "gin" as a gift, not a syrupy flavoured "gin"?
We tried the Seedlip alcohol free spirits and found them a bit lacking in the astringent qualities we're looking for; any other recommendations?
Tried a couple - never bothered again. Sorry. Tesco’s AF G&T in a can isnt too bad but somehow doesn’t work as well as AF beer (to me at least)
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Mrs B raves about Atopia, which having tasted is definitely a pleasant enough drink, but I’m no gin connoisseur.
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A shoutout for the M and S alcohol free wine range. I wasn't sure at first but then really got into it.
Also, a shout out to Aldi's 0% pilsener that is really good. About 2.50 for a six pack. For the first time ever I'm cutting out 6 days a week at the moment so keen to hear of more recommendations.
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Does anyone have any recommendations for alcohol free (or low alcohol) gin?
Looking for a proper juniper flavour "gin" as a gift, not a syrupy flavoured "gin"?
We tried the Seedlip alcohol free spirits and found them a bit lacking in the astringent qualities we're looking for; any other recommendations?
Tried a couple - never bothered again. Sorry. Tesco’s AF G&T in a can isnt too bad but somehow doesn’t work as well as AF beer (to me at least)
A decent tionic, lime and a dash of bitters is far nicer (and cheaper) than any alcohol free gin in a faux gin and tonic.
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Beer wise, my current favourite by a country mile is Nemo. Out of stock at the moment though.
https://brightsidebrewing.co.uk/product/nemo/
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For the first time ever I'm cutting out 6 days a week at the moment so keen to hear of more recommendations.
You tried any AF whisky lid?
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So after about 3 years of no alcohol I think it's been long enough that I've forgotten how nice red wine can be and have even found the Eisberg Merlot (warmed, with a spicy curry) to be really enjoyable.
Personally quite enjoy cold no alcohol whites/sparkling ones. The Nosecco is nice even on a hot day (tho to be honest, the closest thing I've found to a nonalcohol wine is actually kombucha!).
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Brewdog have some of their alcohol free beer prices reduced on their website right now. Not sure if regular occurrence, but also have some on there I haven’t tried so bought a selection as well as a load of Punk AF. Also Infinite Sessions IPA a bit cheaper from their website right now.
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Bought some of the Elvis AF and. really enjoying it. Much better than the Punk AF IMO.
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Great! I’ve got some of that on the way too.
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Good shout - I bought a couple of AF ones from the Big Drop site. The Pine Trail Pale Ale is excellent, far superior to Nanny State / Punk AF. I got the AF lager they do as well - it's alright - better than the majority of the AF lagers out there but still a little over-sweet / sickly.
Over Xmas I got a bottle of Lucky Saint to try - think that's the go-to AF Lager, really good stuff.
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I’ve developed a taste for the AF Lefe and AF Hoegaarden (both from Tesco). Both are not the same as their alcoholic versions - and if you think they are you’ll be disappointed. But they do taste like AF versions ish - and decent in their own right.
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Beer wise, my current favourite by a country mile is Nemo. Out of stock at the moment though.
https://brightsidebrewing.co.uk/product/nemo/
Whilst Nemo was out of stock I have mostly been drinking Vandestreek Playground IPA. Equally as nice, though different. I prefer Nemo, the wife prefers Playground. Either way, neither last long.
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Bought some of the Elvis AF and. really enjoying it. Much better than the Punk AF IMO.
Just got some of this to try. Truly awful! Like watered down pop. Definitely the worst of their range (saying something as other than nanny state I don't really rate any of them). Shows how much individual tastes vary.
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I don’t know if it has been said already but I really rate Lucky Saint and the one from Brooklyn beer which tastes quite fruity.
Bought some of the Elvis AF and. really enjoying it. Much better than the Punk AF IMO.
Shows how much individual tastes vary.
Definitely. I really don’t mind the Brewdog offerings but my other half can’t stand them.
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Just ordered a 24-pack bundle from Brewdog of AF beers. Partly as they don’t deliver the alcohol versions in Colorado and partly because I’m not light atm.
4X Nanny State
4X Punk AF
4X Elvis AF
4X Hazy AF
4X Wake up Call
4X Ghost Walker
Will report back in due course
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Brief update - Harbour Brewing (who I've had a few cases of normal ale from over the last year or so) are now doing an AF and it's very good.
Quite Punk AF-ish in flavour, kind of inbetween that and the Nanny State. I'd put it in my top 3 for sure.
Only available via mail order at the moment but I'm pretty sure they're doing free delivery at the moment, check their Insta
https://harbourbrewing.com/collections/all#section15 (https://harbourbrewing.com/collections/all#section15)
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Tried Adnam's Ghost Ship 0.5% recently. Really quite pleasant.
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Tried Adnam's Ghost Ship 0.5% recently. Really quite pleasant.
😱 I thought that was total 💩
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Well I think that Nanny State tastes like brake fluid diluted with goat piss and I'd rather drink the sweat from a sumo wrestler's arse crack, so there.
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I'm not a fan of Nanny state either...
I have tasted brake fluid (it doesnt taste like bad alcohol free beer) but not goats piss or sumo sweat...
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Well anyway.
Just cracked open a Lucky Saint 0.5% and it is really very nice, light and crisp and not overly bitter at all.
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Well anyway.
Just cracked open a Lucky Saint 0.5% and it is really very nice, light and crisp and not overly bitter at all.
Indeed its one of the best. I have one open now.
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I’ve been drinking a fair few alcohol free beers this winter to stem the craving to drink every single night and have fond a lot of them pleasant but Am I alone in thinking that even the most average can of BBQ larger is a better tipple.
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Well anyway.
Just cracked open a Lucky Saint 0.5% and it is really very nice, light and crisp and not overly bitter at all.
That's been the best of the bunch for me.
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Just ordered a 24-pack bundle from Brewdog of AF beers. Partly as they don’t deliver the alcohol versions in Colorado and partly because I’m not light atm.
4X Nanny State
4X Punk AF
4X Elvis AF
4X Hazy AF
4X Wake up Call
4X Ghost Walker
Will report back in due course
Have had all but the stout, all in all disappointed though not sure what I was expecting. Definitely inferior to a normal beer... However the other day (yesterday) after a big day at work, felt the need for a de-stress beer and one of these actually did the job fairly well!
Nanny State - absolutely disgusting
Punk AF - best one of the bunch I reckon
Elvis AF - Tastes like Grapefruit sparkling water, not bad
Hazy AF - Not as good as Punk AF but not bad
Ghost Walker - Grim but not as bad as Nanny State...
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Nanny State - absolutely disgusting
:lol: quoted for truth. I found a can of Punk AF cooling in the river below Moat Buttress, nabbed it, pretty pleasant, then failed on my redpoint cos I was full of beer and gas.
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Not read the whole thread so apologies if I'm repeating anything, but the AF Bavarian wheat beers are pretty good from what I remember. I think you can order most of them in the UK.
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Ive been sleeping shit lately so thought id cut evening/cooking beers to start off with. Spurred on by this thread i thought id try Punk AF. Terrible. It tastes like the beer equivalent of schloer. Just doesnt do it... Im tempted by Nanny State just to see what sumos crack tastes like. And Ive just ordered the taster pack of these: https://daysbrewing.com/ . The website all looks a bit shiny, but ill report back on how they taste :coffee:
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In my experience, there's only 2 ways to go with this: lucky saint, or the 0.5% bavarian stuff. Everything else I've tried has been awful.
Otherwise you're much better off with fewer 3-4% "session" beers than the other options imo.
The brewery at the end of my street does a great 2.7% pale (https://wiperandtrue.com/products/small-beer), but that's prob not that useful to the non Bristol resident
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Yeah the wheat beers are good because the prominent wheaty taste carries them and masks the soulless despair of lack of alcohol...
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Otherwise you're much better off with fewer 3-4% "session" beers than the other options imo.
The brewery at the end of my street does a great 2.7% pale (https://wiperandtrue.com/products/small-beer), but that's prob not that useful to the non Bristol resident
I this has been discussed on here previously, but you definitely open up a relative world of flavour, even if you just go up to 3%, but I guess a lot of people are looking for zero alcohol.
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you also miss out on all the health benefits if you go too heavy!
https://steadydrinker.com/articles/health-benefits-alcohol-free-beer/
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Recently been drinking Ambar 0.0 which is a pils type thing - it's got a weird slightly citrus taste, a bit like a weak wheat beer, to which I've been adding a few of drops of lime juice, which complements it well. The resulting drink, to paraphrase Douglas Adams, is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike beer. But quite nice.
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Its mentioned somewhere in this thread - but AFAIK there are two processes for making AF beer (technically <0.5%). First is brew normally then 'extract' the alcohol, second is to brew to a low percentage (0.5%). Apparently the latter (0,5%) gives a much better taste and doesnt taste as artificial or sickly as the 0% ones.
That said, I had a couple of bottles of 0% Moretti with a meal tonight - and that tasted pretty decent.
Infinity Sessions IPA, and Big Drop Stout are still my favourites - but not stocked in my local supermarket any more :(
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Think the good thing overall is that generally compared to (say) 5 or even 3 years ago the AF market has drastically expanded, so at least you're not just limited to Becks Blue (think I'd literally just prefer sparkling water) or Nanny State.
Echo the above - the Brewdog Punk AF (I actually don't mind Nanny State either), the Aldi versions, definitely Lucky Saint, the Big Drop stable generally, and recently the Harbour Brewing AF IPA are all very passable / drinkable.
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Freedamm is a passable driving AF lager. 6 blue stubby cans for £5 works for me pretty well. I look at it as ticking the same boxes as a refreshing Fosters on a Hot day in a pub beer garden (remember those?) No hops or fancy citrus notes (not dissing, love a Crafty AF too.) Just cheap booze free lager hits... The McDonald's of the AF family.
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Freedamm is a passable driving AF lager. 6 blue stubby cans for £5 works for me pretty well. I look at it as ticking the same boxes as a refreshing Fosters on a Hot day in a pub beer garden (remember those?) No hops or fancy citrus notes (not dissing, love a Crafty AF too.) Just cheap booze free lager hits... The McDonald's of the AF family.
Agree with this, I've enjoyed this much more than the other AF beers. Unfortunately can't get it from my local Sainsbury's any more for some reason. Also quite like the Birra Moretti AF lager in the same vein of uncomplicated lagerish refreshment.
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Sometimes only a lagery substitute will do. Sorry to hear about your local stock issues. I can't get the Pistonhead Flat Tire AF round here for love nor money. Also a big favourite. Been known to buy it 24 cans at a time when I've found it on forays into out of town Tescos.
Good shout about the Moretti. Will give it a go as it always hit the spot back in my semi-regular drinking days. (The net effect of the current crop of decent AF beer is that I seem to have accidentally given up drinking. No bad thing as a healthier bank balance, a clearer head and better sleep seem to be the side effects.)
Cheers!
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Ah I forget to report back. The Days beers were really nice. Better than expected. Il do a shit job of describing them but at £9 delivered for a 4 bottle taster pack it's worth a try. Hasn't fixed sleep patterns.
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Never really considered myself an AF beer drinker but in recent times have started enjoying beer maybe a little too much. Decided after Sunday’s match and my session on supercool to not drink in the week.
This evening went to a BBQ and bought the beaver town lazer crush AF IPA. Usually think AF beers a bit shit and feel that I’d rather not even bother if I’m not going to drink. Really really enjoyed a couple of cans of that though. Highly recommended
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I'll confess that this thread had previously had held absolutely no interest - I like beer. For one reason and another I'm having a couple of months off the grog so have been flirting with alcohol-free. I've only read the latest couple of pages but as a relative novice would echo some of what has been said:
Generally I find zero alcohol is disgusting. Always when compared with actual beer, and quite often on its own terms. I tried one organic one in particular that in my opinion was not fit for human consumption. 0.5% is definitely slightly better but still tastes weird and is variable. Low alcohol (been having small amounts as a "treat") definitely tastes better again. In no instance yet have I come across one that I would prefer to even an average tin of lager. Like I say I like beer. Obviously my taste may change over time but that is the current position!
Also agree with Ru that low alcohol wheat beers tend to be better in general than others for some reason. I say that as someone not usually that psyched on them.
Anyway, I give the above background for any readers who are in a similar position just in case they benefit from my favoured solution to the taste issue - shandy! Basically zero / low alcohol beer does not taste like beer (IMO). Zero / low shandy on the other hand does taste more like a real shandy. Not completely, but the distance is lessened if your see what I mean. Obviously this depends on your opinion of shandy / lemonade tops. Very refreshing in summer. My current go-to is Patronus what beer (Lidl, 79p for 500ml I think?) and lemonade in varying amounts.
If you can stretch to 2.5% then Shofferhofer Grapefruit is excellent for a similar sort of "alcopop" taste cover up, again very refreshing!
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beaver town lazer crush AF
What a name. 8)
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Catching up on this thread, a good AF red beer name might be Fiendish redpoint.